Bobby Abdel of Jack’s Surfboards told me yesterday that Vestal’s soft goods line is doing well in Jack’s stores.
I followed up with Vestal, best known for its premium watches, to find out about its clothing offering.
Here’s what I found out. The answers are from soft goods designer Mark Powell.
When did the Vestal softgoods line really take off?
We have had softgoods for a few years, but we have seen a huge demand as of last year.
What categories are you making?
The offerings in our line vary season to season.
Every year we focus on a different theme relating to music that influences us from the past or present.
We occasionally introduce limited items but we always offer watches, headwear, custom tees, custom sweatshirts, belts, wallets, and bags.
Is there one category of soft goods that is selling particularly well?
The Vestal custom T-shirt line.
What is the vibe of the clothes? What market are you targeting?
Vestal is a musically-inspired brand. The musical themes we incorporate help determine the line each season. Last year we focused on the 1977 punk era and this year we went back to early 60s Soul influenced England.
Vestal is marketed and branded through our friends, musicians, artists, and athletes who are immersed within music culture. True Vestal customers have passionate interest in music, fashion and art, and cannot be pegged to any particular demographic.
What are the price points?
Price points for soft goods range from $20 (T-shirt) to $115 (Snow Jacket, left). Watches range from $75 to over $300. Vestal is a premium accessory brand and as such we custom design and produce all of our items.
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Can you provide a sampling of retailers carrying the line?
As a premium accessory company, Vestal sells to a variety of retailers, from core board sport accounts such as Jack’s and Surfside to high end retailers such as Harvey Nichols and W Hotels.
How does the clothing initiative fit in with the rest of the company? Is this a big target for Vestal?
Vestal, like music, cannot be pegged to a specific category.
We have always dabbled in soft goods but now with a focused expansion, we have been able to grow the program rapidly.
Watches remain our primary product but with the growth of our soft goods line Vestal has become a premium accessory brand that will continue to thrive year after year.
